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Global Diplomatic News: Week 45

The Nigerian government has approved the donation of $500,000, over 350 electoral kits and seven vehicles, to facilitate a successful conduct of Guinea Bissau legislative election, scheduled for November 18, 2018.

The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, announced this when Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Guinea Bissau, Mr. Jose Filho, visited him in Abuja. Mr. Onyeama expressed delight that Nigeria was able to play that important role stressing that President Buhari in his capacity as the Chairperson of ECOWAS was watching the situation in Guinea Bissau very closely.

According to Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama:

“It is in the framework of establishing peace and stability in Guinea Bissau that Mr . President has approved a substantial number of elections kits to enable them to carry out this election.

Without those kits that are over 350, it is going to be difficult to carry out the election.

The last batch of it is about to be delivered, and in addition, Mr . President has approved the supply of seven vehicles with about 500,000 dollars.

Guinea Bissau is very important for the ECOWAS sub region as you know that President Muhammadu Buhari is the chairperson of the ECOWAS and interested in the political situation of Guinea Bissau.”

Mr. Onyeama said Nigeria, UN and ECOWAS are determined to ensure complete political stability in Guinea Bissau to permit economic development that the country needs.

“We came here to exchange view and express appreciation, not in the name of Guinea Bissau, but in the name of the of the international community because I represent the UN in Guinea Bissau. I thank Nigeria for the assistance to Guinea Bissau.”

It also marked a strategic cooperation and partnership to boost economic growth and create employment opportunities thus making a contribution in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment in our countries.

As members of both commonwealth and African Union, we should consult on regular basis with a view to strategically cooperate with each other in these prime organisations to achieve our set objectives.”

He said the meeting had broaden the scope of collaboration between Nigeria and Botswana and also paved the way for regular political exchanges at a higher level.

The Botswana Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Unity Dow, expressed satisfaction with the existing relations between the two countries and reiterated the necessity to reinforce these relations for mutual benefits.

She stressed the need to deepen cooperation politically, economically, social-culturally and in all aspects of development in line with the principle of African Union. The minister said the relation should be broaden from economic and technical cooperation to social cultural, human resources and manpower development as well as legal and defence cooperation.

ATAF Re-elects Tunder Fowler As African Tax Chairman

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Tunde Fowler, has been re-elected as Council Chairman of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) for a fresh two-year term.

This was disclosed in a press release signed by Wahab Gbadamosi, FIRS’ Head of Communications and Servicom Department.

According to the press release, Fowler was returned unopposed by all ATAF Council members at the Forum’s 5th General Assembly meeting, in Gaborone, Botswana.

He led the organisation in the last two years, with commendable applause from members of the organisation. His candidature was not opposed by any of the 26 countries that participated in the elections.

Burundi, Burkina Faso and Mauritius contested the position of the Vice-Chairman, which Mauritius won.

Established in 2009, ATAF, the continental association of tax authorities, has 38 members.

Fowler succeeded Mr. Gershem T. Pasi, the Commissioner- General of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, in 2016. Under Fowler, ATAF has made tremendous strides.

Last year in Abuja, ATAF launched the landmark ATAF Transfer Pricing Toolkit, which is assisting African countries to prevent huge financial losses through new Transfer Pricing Rules.

Many African Tax Authorities are leveraging the toolkit to contain financial leakages from their economy.

Also, ATAF under Fowler has given Africa a global voice in global tax matters.

ATAF is leading the world in African position on Tax Affairs, with its representation on High Level Talks on stemming Illicit Financial Flows (IFF). Under Fowler, the Forum has also launched the African Tax Outlook, through which African Tax administrations are sharing data.